Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium Explores Adding New Destination to the North Shore

PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

As construction remains underway on the North Shore to prepare the city for the 2026 NFL Draft taking place April 23-25, the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium is thinking about tourism in the long term.

Zoo officials announced this week that they are exploring the feasibility of developing a new, standalone destination on the North Shore called The Pennsylvania Aquarium.

“Pennsylvania is the most populous state without a stand-alone aquarium,” Pittsburgh Zoo president CEO Dr. Jeremy Goodman says in a press release. 

Pittsburgh Zoo is currently one of only six major zoo and aquarium combinations in the U.S., according to its website.  While the zoo itself opened in 1898, the aquarium was added in 1967 and underwent a massive renovation in 2000 as part of a $17.4 million update that doubled the number of aquatic animals housed there. 

The last major attraction to be constructed on the North Shore was PNC Park, which opened its doors in April 2001. 

The Pennsylvania Aquarium project is still in its conceptual and exploratory phase; neither a construction timeline, nor an exact location has been established just yet. Zoo officials say the concept imagines a large-scale, immersive destination that would expand the zoo’s offerings without duplicating or replacing what currently exists in Highland Park. 

According to the release, the addition of a “world-class” aquarium on the North Shore would also “strengthen Pittsburgh’s position as a national leader in conservation and environmental education; expand tourism and regional economic activity; provide immersive learning experiences focused on water systems and aquatic life; and create jobs and long-term economic benefits.”

Zoo officials say they have commissioned an economic impact study. A coalition of regional leaders also is being formed to assess feasibility, funding pathways and long-term community impact to determine if the project is viable and sustainable for the region.

“The Pennsylvania Aquarium would expand the Zoo’s physical and conservation footprint, connecting the city and state to aquatic animals from around the planet as well as those that are native to the Commonwealth, celebrating our life-sustaining relationship with water and aquatic life in ways as we can present only in Pittsburgh,” Goodman adds.